Power-operated sectional invalid bed



March 17, 1953 c MU 2,631,300

POWEROPERATED SECTIONAL INVALID BED Filed June 27, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1v v 38 3.0 Fig. 2.

1% 0 1 7 I 5 I I l I l2 Inventor 1E1, 0 l6 0 /8 l 24 20 22 28 Charles L.Murray March 17, 1953 c. 1.. MURRAY POWER-OPERATED SECTIONAL INVALID BED2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed June 27, 1949 In vernor 0/1 q'r/es L. MurrayPatented Mar. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POWER-OPERATEDSECTIONAL INVALID BED Charles L. Murray, Waco, Tex.

Application June 27, 1949, Serial No. 101,519

5 Claims.

This invention relates to novel and useful improvements in hospitalbeds.

An object of this invention is to operate a hospital bed for adjustmentof the mattress supporting section in such a manner that the patient isable to raise or lower the various sections in accordance with hisprerogative by simply manipulating the operating members of a controlswitch unit conveniently located.

Another object of this invention is to prevent overriding of thesections by automatically breaking a circuit with one of the motorstherein, rendering that section ineffectual for further movement in theharmful direction.

Ancillary objects and features of novelty will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art, in following the description of the preferred formof the invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is an elevational view of one form of the invention showingvarious operative elements in section;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Figure 1, portions of thesprings being broken away to illustrate the structure thereunder;

Figure 3 is an end view of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the device, showing the adjustedpositions of the mattress supporting head and foot sections;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the switch control unit which isadapted to be operated by the patient in the bed; and

Figure 6 is a wiring diagram showing schematically the arrangement ofmotors and switches which are used in connection with the invention.

The present invention relates to a hospital bed attachment having forits purpose the manual operation of the foot mattress supporting sectionand the head mattress supporting section by the patient in the bedwithout the necessity of calling someone to operate the said sections.

Illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, particularly, is a bed consisting of aframe which includes sides 10 and [2, respectively. These sides areangle iron in this instance and have a central transverse support I 4extending thereacross with brackets l6 and I8 respectively dependingtherefrom. These brackets pivotally mount the motors 20 and 22 whichhave reduction gear boxes 24 and 25 operatively connected therewith.

In order to support the frame at an elevated position, conventional legs25 at the head of the bed and conventional legs 28 at the foot of thebed are provided in the usual manner.

A mattress head supporting section 3!} which is a substantiallyrectangular frame member is connected to the central support 14 by meansof hinges 32. A foot mattress supporting section, generally indicated at36, consists of two substantially equal size rectangular frames 38 and50, respectively, which are connected to ether by means of a pivotalhinge 44. A webbing 46 is fixed to the said section 30 and a webbing isalso fixed to the said section 36. The webbings may be of one continuoussheet or two individual sheets, one provided for the section 31] and theother provided for the section 36.

Extending from the reduction gear box 25 which is operatively connectedwith the motor 22 is a screw 50 having an internally threaded traveller52 disposed thereon. The end of the screw 50 is supported in the bracket54 which is fixed to the bottom of the reduction gearing box 25.Accordingly, upon operation of the motor 22, the screw 5|] is rotated,thereby causing the traveller 52 to progress longitudinally on thescrew. A transverse rod 58 is secured to the sides 10 and I2 of theframe and has the link 50 which is pivoted to the traveller 52, fixedthereto. Arms 62 and 64, respectively, having rollers 65 and 68 or otherequivalent friction lessening means thereon are fixed for movement withthe transverse rod 58. Accordingly, upon operation of the screw 55, thetraveller 52 is operated axially ofthe screw, thereby pivoting the motor22 and also, through the medium of the arms s2 and 64, operating thesection 35 for raising and lowering about the hinges 'lll which connectthe section 36 with the center support l4. Rollers 12 are carried onsuitable pins at the end of the said section 36 and are adapted to rideon the sides ill and I2 of the frame.

An identical structure is used for the purpose of raising and loweringthe head mattress supporting section 33, in this. instance the rollers16 engaging the bottom surface of the said sec" tion 35 along thelongitudinal edges thereof for raising and permitting the patienttogether with the mattress to be lowered.

Referring to the wiring diagram of Figure 6, the motors 22 and 20 areshown to be of the reversing type. This is necessary in that the screw55 for the motor 22 and the other screw for the motor 20 act as and areactually jacks (screw type) prohibiting return movement of the sectionsafter they have been raised. Hence, it is essential that the motors beoperated in the reverse direction so that the screws may be operated inthe said reverse direction to allow lowering the sections. Suitableelectric conductors are operatively connected with the motors. The motor22 has a line 80 connected to one side thereof and a line 82 connectedto the other side thereof. However, the line 82 has mercury switches 84and 8B which are of the levelling type interposed therein. These mercuryswitches are carried by the link 60 so that the line 82 fails to conductcurrent to the motor after the section has reached the maximum desiredheight.

A pair of contacts 88 and 89 are at the terminal portion of the line 80,while the pair of contacts 98 and 94 are disposed at the ends of theline 82. By operating the switch arm 85 which is opposed in itsoperation by the opposing springs 96 and 91, the contacts 83 and 90 arebridged in order to operate the motor 22 in one direction or thecontacts 94 and 89 are bridged in order to operate the motor in theopposite direction. The swtich arms 95 always tend to return to theinoperative position, but because of the action of the springs 96 and97.

The described switch is disposed in a unit and covered by a housing 98which is conveniently located because of the length of wire 39 in anysuitable position accessible to the patient.

The unit having the switches also contains another switch arm I which isused for the purpose of energizing the motor 28 through the mercurylevel switches till and H32 respectively which are carried by the link6| which is connected with the section 30, serving the identicalfunction as the mercury switches 54 and 8G. The switch arm I69 isoperated for the purpose of manipulating one part of the bed attachment,while the other switch arm 95 is used for the purpose of manipulatingthe other part thereof.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a hospital bed which includes a substantially horizontal frame andlegs, a transverse support having a first and a second. motorrespectively, depending therefrom, each on a single pivotal mount, afirst and second screw operated by said motors, a traveller disposed oneach of said screws, a mattress supporting head section, means hingedlysecuring said head section to said transverse support, and a footmattress supporting section, means hingedly securing said foot sectionto said transverse support, and means operatively connecting saidsections with said travellers for hingedly moving said sections whensaid motors are operated.

2. In a hospital bed which includes a substantially horizontal frame andlegs, a transverse support having a first and a second motorrespectively, depending therefrom, each on a single pivotal mount, afirst and second screw operated by said motors, a traveller disposed oneach of said screws, a mattress supporting head section, means hingedlysecuring said head section to said transverse support, and a footmattress supporting section, means hingedly securing said foot sectionto said transverse support, means operatively connecting said sectionswith said travellers for hingedly moving said sections when said motorsare operated, a first switch, a second switch, conductors extending fromsaid motors and having said switches therein, a housing havingsaid-switches therein and said conductors being of sufiicient length toposition the housing remote from the motors for patient operation,whereby said sections may be raised and lowered by the patient.

3. The combination of claim 2 and mercury switches carried by said meansoperatively connecting the travellers with the sections and interposedin said conductors for rendering said motors inoperative responsive to apredetermined angularity of said sections with respect to thehorizontal.

4. In a hospital bed, a frame with legs, a transverse support carried bysaid frame, a motor having a screw operated thereby, means pivotallyconnecting said motor to said support and below said frame, meansincluding a plurality of linksand a traveller which is disposed on saidscrew for transferring rotative movement of said screw to swingingmovement, a mattress supporting section hingedly secured to said supportand operatively connected with said second-mentioned means whereby saidsection may be operated by said motor.

5. In a hospital bed, a frame with legs, a transverse support carried bysaid frame, a motor having a screw operated thereby, means pivotallyconnecting said motor to said support and be low said frame, meansincluding a plurality of links and a traveller which is disposed on saidscrew for transferring rotative movement of said screw to swingingmovement, a mattress supporting section hingedly secured to said supportand operatively connected with said secondmentioned means whereby saidsection may be operated by said motor, and said motor being of thereversing type, an electrical conductor extending therefrom, a switchhousing connected with said conductor and having a switch therein, saidconductor being flexible whereby said housing may be disposed in variousplaces remote from the motor.

CHARLES L. MURRAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

